Atlas Coffeehouse – Duke’s Road

Bukit Timah is an area that is filled with many cafes & fancy eateries, and Atlas Coffeehouse is the latest of the lot to join the neighbourhood.

Situated at Duke’s Road within walking distance from Botanic Gardens MRT Station, Atlas Coffeehouse is opened by the same team behind Assembly Coffee at Evans Road, which is known for their stellar coffee and waffles. Boasting an interior space bigger than Assembly Coffee, the cafe is decked out in white and blue, with cement floors and walls flanked with wooden furniture. While being affiliated with Assembly Coffee, the menu sees a refreshing change from the usual Eggs Benedict for brunch items, offering interesting items such as Chicken Miso Salad, Sundried Tomato Chicken Stew and Grain Bowl. Waffles, which is a popular item at Assembly Coffee is being brought over to Atlas Coffeehouse, though the Assembly Brick Toast is not available in the menu here during our time of visit.

(Salmon Soba Noodles)

Wanting a main to fill ourselves up, we went for the Salmon Soba Noodles, which comes with Glazed Salmon, Soba Noodles and Fried Egg (not sure where did the Marinated Shimeiji went though). This was a Japanese-inspired creation, that sees the use of many Japanese elements to recreate what would have been a pasta in a typical cafe. Buckwheat Soba comes tossed with Nori, allowing the flavour of seaweed to be absorbed into the Soba, while the Salmon was well-marinated and carried a good amount of char-grilled flavour. We particularly enjoyed the crisp underside of the fried egg, which made the dish felt rather interesting texturally. While this was quite well done, we would have liked it even better if the skin-on Salmon could come with a skin which carries a little more crisp for a better texture.

(Earl Grey Caramel Waffle)

Knowing Assembly Coffee’s quality of waffles, we have also decided to share the Earl Grey Caramel Waffles. Buttermilk Waffle served with a scoop of Vanilla Ice-Cream, Strawberries with a drizzle of Earl Grey Caramel sauce, the buttermilk waffle has a crisp exterior with a plush interior that carries a fragrant buttermilk aroma. Earl Grey Caramel was lightly perfumed by the aroma of tea, yet carrying sweetness that is typical of caramel to bring a sweet flavour to the waffle. Vanilla Ice-Cream was decent, and it was noted that the ice-cream took quite a while to melt and remained in its form despite the long photography session we took. Definitely one of the better waffles that is available out there.

(Key Lime Pie)

Having heard that the bakes that they serve are baked in-house, we ordered a Key Lime Pie to share. The smooth Key Lime curd carried a good amount of zingy citrus flavour which refreshes the tastebuds, while complimenting it perfectly was the tart base which carried a buttery, cookie-like flavour. A good dessert to pair up with a cup of coffee for an afternoon coffee treat.

(Flat White)

Atlas Coffeehouse uses blends from Two Degrees North Coffee Roasters for their coffee. We had a blend using beans from Brazil and Guatemala for our Flat White; the result was a medium-bodied cuppa with a fruity body and a nutty finish.

Being in a neighbourhood that is filled with multiple cafes and hipster eateries, Atlas Coffeehouse may on surface value look like just yet another cafe that just came up within the area. Look past all of that however, and this place does seem to carry the vibes of a cafe that Bukit Timah needs. In a neighbourhood where cafes are still largely serving common brunch menus, Atlas Coffeehouse provides interesting food in a trendy, yet modest and honest setting in terms of both service and environment. With my school situated within the Bukit Timah-Clementi corridor, Atlas Coffeehouse is probably one spot that I would revisit in the future.